CROSS-SECTION UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE DEPARTMENT OF ARCHITECTURE. September 1, Issue No. 179

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1 UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE DEPARTMENT OF ARCHITECTURE CROSS-SECTION Issue No. 179 From C-S's man-in-sydney: Robin Boyd, perhaps the most respected and responsible "scene stealer" in the taste business rides again. A quick survey of young Sydney architects who had read his article in "Architecture in Australia" found some smarting under his claim that they lacked any "compulsion, progressive drive" or "dedication to the future". Others candidly admitted he is as usual right. He probably is, or rather was, for his article is as out of date as the rest of the same issue many of the houses illustrated under the section "Recent Work" were built three to five years ago. Certainly, many of his points were raised in an Architectural Design article on Five Sydney Architects which appeared in 1964 and arguments such as his have raged for years in such centres of architectural "bonhomie" as the Union Pub, North Sydney, usually flared by people like Phil Jackson who, after a couple of early sorties into the vernacular (St. Ives Kindergarten) hurried back to internationalism and the technological bit. Admittedly Boyd can't be expected to be aware of what is on the boards or under construction, but is his statement really valid? Certainly he refers to Seidler's Australia Square Tower, which must surely be one of the most progressive and "futurist" office buildings this country has seen. But apropos work of the immediate past, does Col Madigan's library at Dee Why or Hely Bell & Horne's Bankstown Square belong in his historian's packaging? There are few buildings which more gracefully integrate complex services so that they actually contribute to an almost shiplike amalgam of the three S's (Space, Structure, Services). Could Ian McKay's homestead at Cootamundra be regarded as unadventurous and unprogressive? Perhaps Boyd's point is proven somewhat in that the engineering design of the prefabricated folded plywood trusses for that building was done by C.S.I.R.O. engineers in Melbourne, but it was designed and built in Sydney. Almost the complete house was delivered by semi-trailer at a cost less than current project house prices ($950 per square erected). And surely McKay's Catholic Kindergarten and Church Hall at Mount Druitt, or his design for a house at Bayview bear little relation to Ernest Kump's nostalgic California, and indicate at least a hopeful, forward-looking attitude, certainly a step beyond seductive beauty with romantic allusions. Bill Lucas' constant search for economic and valid use of technology; Duffield Young Associates' excursions into industrialized, expandable housing; Neville Gruzman's breathtaking structural adventure now under construction in North Turramurra and many others might serve to remind Robin Boyd of his days of yore: "what sensations, what excitement, what inexperience" etc. (Although those of us who were at the R.I.B.A. to see the Australian Architecture Exhibition around 1955 or 1956, will remember the dull thud with which it hit the London scene). The motives behind much of the "Sydney School's" reasoning were basically Economics and Environment to find materials and methods the average builder could employ at prices within the range of the young families flooding the housing scene and to produce a regional architecture unsullied by the most recent overseas "glossies". This meant for most a step backward, a stocktaking of everything from the humpy up and an acceptance of clinkers, sandstocks, rough timbers, corrugated A.C. and tiles because they were almost invariably cheaper. It is still considerably cheaper to build Andrew Young's house pictured below for a middle-aged lady who wants everything on one floor and the view, in traditional manner, than employing advanced technological methods. (Actually this photograph was shoved in just to show Mr. Boyd that the top-heavy look has arrived!) The Sydney School is still trying to move towards a regional style September 1, 1967 it frequently digresses but the rejection of obvious overseas influences could be healthier than the Havana Hilton facadism and the Ed Stone Embassy look illustrated under the hopeful caption on Perth's "Western sunrise". Whatever may be said about Robin Boyd's article, it has stimulated more discussion in Sydney than any other topic since the Opera House debacle and it has made us take another look at ourselves for this was good, constructive criticism. Photo: Arnold Studios. Interior of a Library for the Corporation of the City of Enfield, Mansfield Park, S.A. Accommodates 5,000 volumes plus periodicals and children's section. Construction: load-bearing face brickwork, steel roof deck (copper deck over main library), timber windows, compressed straw ceilings, conc. slab. Area 2,050 sq. ft. Cost (including furnishings) $20,800.00, i.e. $1,000 per square. Cheesman Doley Brabham & Neighbour, archts. (M. E. Doley partner-in-charge). Thomas Anderson & Partners, air cond. consultants. T. T. Sheldrick & Sons P/L, bldrs. The 10th Conference of the Building Science Forum of Australia will be held 7th-8th November, 1967, on "Lighting for Buildings", at the new Wentworth Hotel, Sydney. Enrolment with Mrs. Stafford, Bldg. Science Forum, 1 Kington St., Newtown, N.S.W.

2 A. V. Jennings Industries (Australia) Limited's gratuitous advice to C-S last month that their scheme for new flats at the Hotham Gardens Estate, North Melbourne (C-S No. 176 June '67) had been approved by the Housing Commission and the M. & M.B.W., fails to understand the point that while complying with regulations ensures a minimum standard of accommodation and layout, this does not guarantee good architecture or good town planning. To develop Harris Street "partly as car parking" in order to confer upon flat owners "the provision of properly planned car parking spaces for the use of residents" begs the question. Under the A.V.J. scheme, Harris Street will become not partly but almost entirely car parking. In fact it has been the main bone of contention of the neighbouring residents that the car parking is not "properly planned" and that arrangements other than those proposed by A.V.J. could be preferred. In advertising their individual project homes A.V.J. make the point strongly that their houses are designed in accordance with the majority opinions of ordinary people, and that their designs are based upon a knowledge of what people want. In the area of Hotham Gardens ordinary but serious-minded people, namely the local residents, have strongly opposed the planning of these new blocks with good and carefully argued reasons. They should be listened to and respected. At Modbury, an outer Adelaide suburb, this Civic Centre for the District Council of Tea Tree Gully accommodates Council Chamber. Administrative Offices and Civic Hall seating 300. Construction, conc. slab, steel frame, steel roof deck, steel windows, clay brick external and conc. brick internal walls. Cost $144,450.00, i.e. 162 squares at $880 per square. Cheesman Doley Brabham & Neighbour, archts. Consultants: John Connell & Associates, structural; Thomas Anderson & Partners, electrical. F. F. Welford & Son P/L, bldrs. if A Sydney study group chaired by Mr. George Clarke, town planner, has produced a review of the Sydney metropolitan area, one of 40 studies of metropolitan areas in 40 countries, which were presented at Expo 67 in August. The review makes four main points: 1. Sydney and Melbourne, with 49% of Australia's population, are at a disadvantage in Federal and State allocations of resources; 2. There is a widening between Australian Federal power for raising public revenue and finance and the detailed responsibilities of the State for investment. 3. State powers need to be focussed on metropolitan problems. 4. Sydney needs a metropolitan identity and voice in State and Federal decisions. The group says it sensed a dominance of rural slanting or decentralisation by Governments and a disproportionate influence of rural or country interests. Metropolitan areas were at a disadvantage because of the widespread preference weightings of the country-vote. While there were no specific Ministries for urban or metropolitan affairs and little or no finance for urban research, Governments had a large number of Ministries for agriculture, rural development and decentralisation, and considerable research funds for these fields. The study group concludes that the Commonwealth Government in these circumstances should give leadership in urban affairs through special grants for new towns and for urban renewal. While being politically contentious and difficult to inaugurate, the groups' concept of ministries of urban affairs (or perhaps ministries for specific metropolitan areas?) commends itself as a first step in balancing endeavour and a practical acceptance of where and how most live. For Essenden Grammar School, change rooms at East Keilor, Vic, are housed beneath a steel roof on neat steel frame construction providing an 8 ft. wide verandah on all four sides, which gives protection to spectators watching activities on surrounding ovals. Red brick walls to 7 ft. high, glazing and ventilation above. White painted trim, charcoal window frames and doors. Cost: $16,500. Clarke, Hopkins and Clarke, archts. R. J. Grills Pty Ltd, bldr. Some weeks ago Paul Ritter was removed as Perth city architect. He has now been removed as town planner. Councillors who voted 20-3 to sack Ritter have claimed that he had failed to make satisfactory progress with the statutory plan of the City of Perth and that his general conduct towards the council and senior officers and staff was prejudicial to the proper conduct of council affairs. Newspapers have quoted Ritter as replying, "The real reason I've been sacked is because I believe that in planning you have to keep the public informed all the way". Council regulations pertaining to its employees places restraints on public statements by Council Officers which regulations were invoked upon Ritter some time ago. The dailies generally accepted that Ritter's telephone address to the R.A.I.A. Brisbane Convention this year (C-S No. 169 Nov. '66) was in defiance of this gag and also of his request for leave to attend the Convention. Mr. Ritter at present is obtaining legal advice and awaiting the outcome of a ratepayers' meeting which is expected to support his reinstatement which he himself seeks. The rift between Ritter and the Council is most regrettable, and for the sake of good planning for which Perth has a great reputation it is to be hoped that a rapid reconciliation may take place. Meanwhile Ritter has removed from the Council House office his personal equipment and reference library. Photo: Ron Woolmore. This view of St. Saviour's Church of England, Glen Osmond, S.A., shows too many roof elements simultaneously: spire, with louvred panel, lantern light on pyramidal roof, flat roof over arched covered way. Construction: r. conc. and load-bearing brick walls, steel rigid frame roof trusses, off-form conc. and clinker brick external walls. Steel deck roof and steel windows, each with cormorant copper finish. Ceilings, sawn western red cedar. Space heating warm air central boiler. Cost (excl. furnishings $85,000.00). Cheesman Doley Brabham & Neighbour, archts. (J. D. Cheesman partner-in-charge). Consultants: Barnes & Associates, structural; Thomas Anderson & Partners, electrical; Rider Hunt & Partners, q. surveyors. A. S. Bissland Pty. Ltd., furniture. Weber & Williams, bldr.

3 On the left, clinker brick, white tile roofed Mona Vale Baby Health Centre (C-S No. 148 Feb. '65) on the right, Mona Vale Community Hall, both by Clarke Gazzard & Partners, archts. The third part of the Community Centre Complex, a branch library, is to follow. Unfortunately the client refused to allow the Hall to be built in the same clinker brick as the Health Centre, so a manganese face brick was used. An effort has been made to provide a public precinct or "place" between the two buildings, acting also as a pedestrian link between adjacent streets. Against the open space of playing fields this place appears too small amongst the fragmented roof forms. In the reverse of the usual complaint about municipal spaces, that they are arid and monumental, here the result is over-domesticated. Miller Milston & Ferris, str. engrs. B. A. Pickworth & Sons, bldrs. The winner of the A. E. Brooks Travelling Scholarship in Architecture from Queensland University is Mr. Errol M. Bullpitt. The Standards Association of Australia have produced a new draft code, Doc. 1119, "Australian Standard Code of Recommended Practice for Building Design Requirements for the Disabled, which gives information on space requirements, entrance, stairs, ramps, sanitary ware and furniture design to suit the handicapped. This is not simply specialised information for specialised buildings but important for all public buildings. The N.S.W. Committee on Arch'I Standards and Design of the Australian Council for Rehabilitation of the Disabled writes "lt is estimated that there are at least 100,000 people in Australia who have some form of serious physical handicap. Add to these another 400,000 who, although not handicapped in the normal sense, are physically limited by age or heart conditions, and it will be seen that almost one Australian in twenty is in need of some special consideration in planning the environment we live in. And the unfortunate fact is that this proportion is likely to increase. The increasing pace of our mechanised society results in more accident victims each year and the advances of medical science mean that more lives are saved that might previously have been lost, although in many cases the victims are left with impaired mobility. Due to medicine too many people are living longer so that the proportion of older people in the community is ever increasing. Photo: U. College of Townsville, Dept. of Photography. Under construction is Stage I ($427,500) of the University College of Townsville Library (model above) designed by James Birrell & Partners, architects (J. Birrell & L. Kulley partners-in-charge). A vast roof platform girdled by sweeping walls, the design concept appears brave and dramatic but unenhanced by Swisscheese-like apertures. Mr. J. W. Overall has presented his plan for Sydney's Rocks to the State Government. The Maritime Services Board building would be removed according to the scheme, opening the waterfront and bringing the harbour view into a proposed civic square commemorating the "first landing". The aim of his plan "was to establish principles for a balanced, mixed development, using history as an integrating theme". The square would be the heart of the new development and dotted on the slopes of the rocks would be 10 office blocks as this scheme rejects a basically residential use in favour of a commercial bias, first-class highdensity housing for 3,000 people, an international conference hotel, motels, shops, museums and restaurants. Buildings of historic interest such as Cadman's Cottage, St. Patrick's Church, Argyle and Medcalfe Bond Stores and the Mining Museum are to be preserved. He proposes setting up a small, specialised statutory authority to implement the scheme. Parliament House he proposes should be rebuilt on its present site extending into the Sydney hospital site requiring rebuilding elsewhere, neither being located at the Rocks, a suggestion in the terms of the original brief. Mr. Overall's estimate of cost for the 30-acre redevelopment has not been released by Cabinet, who expect an early start on the estimated 15-year re-development programme. The scheme is open, conceiving and providing for a large daily influx of white collars and cameras. George Connor and Associates have submitted their report on the city block bounded by Lonsdale, Swanston, Elizabeth and La Trobe Sts. to the Melbourne City Council. Less a new town hall and a few new functions, the plan contains little that is different in major building types to the winning architectural competition entry of 1965 (C-S No. 155 Sept. '65). Like the competition the report produces a very specific scheme of buildings related to open areas, surprising considering the more general terms of the original brief. Perspectives of the area with the buildings showing a quite developed architectural idea accompany the report. The complete redevelopment of the 8-acre site is estimated at $631/2 million ($56 million for the competition entry winner), and is envisaged in precise stages: stage 1: an 8-storey department store, 2-tier shopping malls with an elevated walk-way over Lonsdale St. into Myers (!?), a 5-storey commercial office building or trade centre with exhibition room and an underground car park for 1,500 cars $20 million; stage 2: room motor hotel, plazas and a swimming pool with plastic dome, a shopping mall including a cinema, health and sports centre and a restaurant $10 million; stage 3: 50-storey office block, 650 ft. high and 2 low-level city administrative buildings and extensions to shopping malls $33.5 million. Provision is also made for a railway beneath the La Trobe, Swanston St. intersection and the preservation of St. Francis' Church in a generous open plaza. (All estimates include land purchase). The report is very detailed in discussing the feasibility of the project in terms of costs and returns for each stage and to enable this, an advanced architectural idea had to be developed along with the original brief. An integrated and substantial development such as is proposed is to be welcomed. Now that the brief has been prepared, the general costing and concept expounded could not the plan's soundness be realised to the next stage in open architectural competition? Clarke, Gazzard and Partners have presented their plan for Battery Point to the Hobart City Council. The plan proposes retention of buildings of historic interest. Any new development would be allowed only in the form of town houses, where building would be allowed up to the street and side boundaries on small lots. An "historic trail" will link significant historic buildings with Kelly's Steps and Arthur's Circus. Existing wide streets may be narrowed. A roadway around the foreshore proposed some years ago has been rejected in favour of a promenade walk retaining the existing links between the area and the water. Through traffic and open car parking is to be. discouraged. The plan, if carried out by the Council, and there is every indication that they will adopt and implement it, will provide a unique and commendable preserved area, more meaningful than spot building preservation.

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5 Library Digitised Collections Title: Cross-Section [1967] Date: 1967 Persistent Link: File Description: Cross-Section, Sept 1967 (no. 179)